


Lovelorn

by girlskylark



Series: Nymph Lance Vs The World [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dads of Marmora (Voltron), Declarations Of Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, First Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Hanahaki Disease, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Love Confessions, M/M, Nymph Lance, Nymphs & Dryads, Prince Lance (Voltron), Princes & Princesses, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-29 18:44:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13933023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlskylark/pseuds/girlskylark
Summary: A month passes and Keith is soon to be adopted by Thace and Ulaz in preparation for his marriage with Lance becoming public knowledge. With a celebration on the way, Lance begins to experience nightmares of Keith confessing his abhorrence, and how he never wanted any of this since the day Lance first contracted hanahaki.





	Lovelorn

**Author's Note:**

> Not edited, but what else is new XD I cranked this all out today lol HUZZAH FOR SPRING BREAK AND THE RETURN OF MY MOTIVATION!

Lance saw Keith more often than not, and so he never looked into the… stranger occurrences. At least, not anymore. He hadn’t seen Keith’s counterpart since Daibazaal, and just imagining him sent a shudder up Lance’s spine. He wanted one Keith and no other, but that didn’t change the nagging guilt growing in his chest when he thought about what Keith thought about all of this.

It started shortly after their marriage, a month or so afterwards, when Lance’s doctor and technical-father-in-law returned to the palace. That day, Thace arrived, and Lance woke up to Keith fretting, walking in circles, hands clutched in his hair. Since the change in Keith’s wardrobe that turned into a fiasco that first week they returned from Arus, his clothes were a lot like Lance’s—colorful, flow-y, and comfortably garnished with jewelry and golden detailing. 

Though, when Lance sat up to Keith’s frantic pacing, he was wearing Altean escort garbs. All white, stuffy, and uncomfortable. 

“What are you doing in those?” Lance asked, eyes wider than ever when Keith paused to stare at him. Ever since the incident, the one in which Allura officially declared Keith a royal prostitute without his consent, Lance hated the look of the escort uniforms. He didn’t want to look at them in fear of remembering how furious they made Keith. He never wanted Keith to look at him or yell at him like that again.

Keith threw his arms down, leaving his hair in a wild disarray. “Because I don’t deserve this! I don’t deserve to be with you like this- and your sister knows it and everyone knows it! If I’m going to be adopted, I can’t keep lying about who I am! I’m not a prince anymore, and I shouldn’t- I shouldn’t be allowed to- to _marry you_.”

Lance tried to get out of bed, but something kept him there, clutching at the sheets as Keith stormed up to him. Lance tugged the comforter up, covering his mouth and nose with it as Keith seethed, “You made me into this! I may be alive because of you, but I was never ready for marriage! I never _wanted_ to get married, and you _knew it_ , and you _forced me into it anyways—_ ”

“Wh- Why are you acting like this?” Lance squeaked, voice wavering as Keith climbed on top of him, tearing the covers down. “What! What do you want?! What do you want me to do?!”

The world went black in an instant, and Lance caught himself shrieking, “ _What is it?! What do you want?!_ ” at the top of his lungs, voice hoarse as he broke into sobs in the dark room. It wasn’t morning. Keith wasn’t on top of him. 

Keith sat beside him, shaking his shoulder. He leaned over, the worry etching in his tense brow as he turned to look at the bedroom door where two of Lance’s guards stood just inside. Keith sat back in relief.

“He’s fine. Bad dream,” he sighed, and the guards nodded.

“Call us if he needs anything. We’ll send Pidge in to bring tea,” one of them said, and Keith thanked them as gracefully as he could manage when Lance was still sobbing on the pillows. 

Keith helped Lance up, knowing that crying lying down was uncomfortable to begin with. He wrapped his arms around Lance’s shoulders, and rubbed the fluffy, knitted fabric of his sleep sweater. The air was cold outside of the blankets. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Keith asked, and Lance shook his head against Keith’s chest. “This is the second time this week. Are you doing alright? Please don’t hold it in.”

“I- I don’t know. Are you okay?” Lance asked, and the feeble question seemed far more heavy than what Lance was letting on. Keith hesitated, but kept his arms tight around Lance’s shoulders as he rocked them gently back and forth.

“I’m only okay when you are,” he said, kissing Lance’s hair. “I don’t like to see you cry.”

A surge of guilt punctured Lance’s chest. It was so tactile, he felt it sink between his ribs and pierce his lungs. Tears swelled in his eyes as he sobbed, unable to catch his breath when he wanted so terribly to stop crying for Keith. 

Lance fell asleep in Keith’s arms, cheeks still wet with tears. Keith laid them down, forehead sore from the tension in his brow. He rubbed his forehead when the door opened, and Pidge stepped in with a tray of fresh tea. She walked down the length of light that washed in from the hall, and came to Keith’s bedside.

“He just fell asleep again. Sorry for having the guards drag you all the way here for nothing,” Keith sighed. 

“I don’t mind,” she said, and frowned as she took in the sight of Lance’s blotchy red cheeks. “If he wakes again, the tea tastes fine cold, too. I’ll leave it here.”

“Thank you,” Keith said, smiling faintly as he turned back around to wrap his arms around Lance. When he turned, his bare back was put on display for Pidge to see the markings from the marital ritual in Arus. She stopped to stare at it for a moment before reaching over and tugging the covers over the two of them. 

Pidge left then, and returned to her chambers across from Allura’s room. She was used to late night calls, but it wasn’t like they happened every week, especially not before Keith arrived. She was starting to get used to the excitement, and didn’t mind it. She just wished there was something more she could do for Lance instead of make tea and hope for the best. 

 

* * *

 

Word spread fast around the palace once Thace arrived. Empress Allura had plans for a feast involving all of the closest friends of the Empire—the Garretts, the King of Arus, the Crystals, and fellow associates in the palace who worked with the Empress firsthand. Keith was amazed by the turnout, and the fact that anyone came for the occasion at all. He never considered himself easily befriend-able, but seeing them all gathered together made him realize just how close he now was with many of them.

The Empress sent one of her esteemed handmaidens to assist Keith in preparing his outfit for the day. He had no clue where to start, especially now that the white clothes were all swapped with Altean prince apparel. He was sure Lance could have helped him, but there he was, being undressed by one of the Empress’ handmaidens, and wrapped in silky, embroidered clothes. 

It wasn’t until he looked in the mirror that he realized he was smiling the entire time. 

“Big day,” she commented with a smile. “I wish you luck, my prince.”

Keith blushed a little at the term, and laughed. “Thank you. I think that’s all.”

She bowed and walked off, passing Lance along the way. Lance had his thumb nail pinched between his teeth, and stared after her before drawing his attention to where Keith emerged from the closet, inspecting the fabric swathing his arms. Golden bracers were clamped on his wrists, and he tapped them together, grinning like a child.

“Now I know how you feel in this stuff,” he said, and twirled to show off the tail of his coat. 

“Is it… okay? Do you like it?” Lance asked.

“Yeah, of course! Surprisingly more comfortable than any Galran prince uniform,” he confessed. He swished his hands around the tufts of his trousers, laughing. “I’m… honestly _really_ excited for today. I just hope Thace is okay with it.”

He stepped up to Lance, who hummed thoughtfully under his breath. Keith draped his arms over Lance’s shoulders, tipping his head as he inspected the worry on Lance’s face. He frowned. 

“Are you doing all right? I’m sure if we asked Allura we could put off the festivities for tomorrow.”

“No! No, no changing the plans,” Lance cried, shaking his head fitfully. “I just… my head hasn’t exactly been in order lately… I’m not sure what’s happening with it.”

Keith rubbed Lance’s hair. He ducked his head, smiling again, and Keith felt infinitely better now that Lance was no longer scowling at nothing. He combed his fingers through Lance’s hair and hooked them around his pointed, elvish ears. He gently lifted Lance’s eyes up with his hands cupping Lance’s jaw.

After a moment of simply watching one another, Keith closed the gap and pressed a reassuring kiss to Lance’s lips. It was smooth and calming, and he felt the tension in Lance subside momentarily. Keith brushed his thumbs over Lance’s cheeks as he pulled away. He ran them under Lance’s eyes, where he could remember Lance’s nymphal markings being. Lance blushed, a grin tugging at his lips.

“Sensitive?” Keith commented, and Lance giggled when Keith rubbed his fingers over them again.

“ _Stop_ ,” he laughed, squirming as Keith leaned in to kiss them. “Keith! Ah!” he shrieked, giggling hysterically as Keith tackled him with kisses on all the markings he could remember glowing on Lance’s skin.

Lance tugged his hands through Keith’s hair, and when he pulled, Keith moaned and growled against Lance’s neck. He nipped playfully at one of the markings on Lance’s shoulders, only to have his hair tugged on more as Lance quaked against him, trying to bite back his laughter.

“You’re ridiculous,” Keith said. He reached up to pull Lance’s hands out of his hair.

“Now you know how it feels,” he said, and Keith flattened his hands on his hair, reminded of the ears Lance saw in place of his human ones. 

“Have you visited Lotor yet?” he asked, and Lance shook his head, still flushed.

“I was waiting to see you,” he confessed, tucking his hand against his mouth as Keith threw his head back laughing. 

They left the room with one of Keith’s arms around Lance’s shoulders, and Lance’s arms latched securely around Keith’s torso. The guards shut and locked the doors behind them, and followed after them as they joined the chaos on the lower floors. Peering down the stairwell, they watched palace workers running about and through the gardens, carrying supplies and beddings, clothes and food. They watched it all from above until they recognized Pidge among them, relaying orders to one of the kitchen staff members when she passed the stairs, and looked up to find Lance waving down to her.

“Lance!” she cried, and hurried back to meet them on the stairs. Keith guided Lance down, and stuck to his side as Pidge frantically said, “I was so worried about you! Are you feeling better?” 

“Yeah, Keith helped,” he confessed, smiling hopefully up to Keith. Keith was already smiling and couldn’t smile any wider.

“Is Thace in yet?” Keith asked, and the look on Pidge’s face said it all. “I’m going to go find him. I should probably talk to him before anything major happens.”

“Oh! Okay, he’s in the guest wing!” Pidge called after him. He bolted down the stairs, leaving Lance with Pidge. As he ran, the folds of his coat flowed behind him, and weaved between the workers he ran around to get to the guest quarters. Pidge laughed, hand over her face as she watched. “I take it he’s excited about this,” she commented.

“I think so. I hope so,” Lance said, and smiled weakly to Pidge. “How are you?”

“Exhausted, but doing well. I know your sister wanted to see you this morning. Would you like me to walk you there?” she asked, and Lance shook his head.

“No, I shouldn’t hold you up. I’ll see you later, though! Farewell,” Lance said, waving to her as he continued down the steps. His guards followed after him, acknowledging Pidge as they went. Pidge watched after him, and sighed in relief. 

Today would go according to plan if she had anything to say about it.

 

* * *

 

Keith heard his brother’s voice long before he saw Shiro _or_ Thace. Shiro’s laughter carried down the corridor as Keith hurried at a half-sprint to the archway. It opened to a round communal area bubbling with the background noise of falling water. A fountain was posted on one of the walls—a sculpture of a fish spitting water out—and it was there that Keith found Shiro sitting on the stone ledge addressing Thace, who stood not too far off with his arms crossed, and a smile on his face.

He turned, and Keith suddenly realized why he was there, and how uncertain he was about it all. He stopped and clasped his hands behind him, ducking his head bashfully.

“I heard you just came in. I hope the trip was alright…?” he started, glancing up at where Thace was grinning.

Thace stepped over across the tiles. “It was fine. There weren’t any issues. How’s Lance fairing?”

“Alright, I think,” he said. “He’s been having nightmares, actually. Twice now just this week.”

“Oh! Well, I should probably look into it, then,” he said, and moved as though preparing to grab his medical supplies when Shiro stood up and held his arm.

“You deserve a break after the trip from Thayserix,” he said, and Thace hesitated, looking to Keith. “And this trip isn’t for Lance, necessarily. I’m sure he’ll understand if you rest for a day or two.”

“I… don’t know…” he started, and the three of them were interrupted by a man stepping out of the doorway to Thace’s suite. 

Keith’s eyes widened at the sheer _size_ of the guy. He had the bulk of a warrior, and the height of one, too. His features were defined by the standard galran traits—black hair, sharp eyes, pale skin. He was angular yet robust, and it showed in how his broad shoulders narrowed to a thin waist. There was shadow of graying stubble on his face, grown out due to traveling long distances without time or reason to care about it.

The man came to stand behind Thace before recognizing Keith and reaching a hand out. “Ulaz—I’m Thace’s husband,” he said with a dazzling smile. Keith was momentarily made dizzy by it, and recovered just long enough to shake Ulaz’s hand. “Technically… future adoptive father?”

“Technically,” Keith squeaked, and hoped his smile wasn’t overly starstruck.

Thace laughed and said, “That’s right—I don’t believe you two have properly met. I might have mentioned him once or twice.”

“Once or twice,” Keith parroted, and wished he had a little more understanding of what family, exactly, he was setting foot in. “I was hoping… that maybe we could talk a bit more about everything,” he said, clearing his throat as he looked back at Thace. He hoped he looked proper enough. He hoped he wasn’t everything Thace and Ulaz _didn’t_ want in a son. Even if they would never exactly be a household of three, he didn’t want to ruin this. This was how he and Lance would stay together, and he was willing to do whatever it took, and he was willing to be everything Thace and Ulaz looked for in a son.

Shiro laid a hand on his back and gave him a soft pat. “I’ll leave you three to it then. Come find me when you’re done,” he told Keith, who nodded wordlessly and watched his brother leave.

Once Shiro left through the open archway, Thace lured Keith along with a gentle hand on his elbow, and started for the suite the Empress assigned for them in the guest wing. Ulaz followed after them, and soon, the three of them were sitting on floor pillows around a table already equipped with warm, sweet chai. Keith poured cups for all of them, and laid coasters down at each of their spots. Thace thanked him, and drew the cup up to his lips.

“I’m worried that Allura might have pressured you into this,” Keith confessed. “And… I know I can never replace the son you two lost, so I can see how this might not be the _greatest_ solution to either of our problems…”

“Keith, I don’t quite think you understand the advantages the Empress is giving us by accepting this offer,” Thace said, reaching a hand out to him as he shook his head, smiling. “And we’re _thrilled_ that it was you. You’re a noble choice for the prince, and we’re happy to bring you into our family.”

“And we aren’t looking for you to replace our son by any means,” Ulaz said, and shared a look with Thace before continuing. “We’ve… long since given up the hope that he might return. If we have any conditions to this, it’s that we want you to stay true to who you are. Don’t worry about us.”

Keith was speechless, and unable to take his eyes off of them as he clutched at his tea and fretted over this. He had all the words before, but lost them under their flattery. “I… I don’t know what to say,” he confessed, looking down with a smile.

“This isn’t exactly your… _usual_ situation. We don’t tend to make a habit of adopting adults these days,” Thace said, laughing. “So we aren’t expecting to… _absorb you_ into our lives. Your life is here, with the Prince and his family.”

“Will you two still be living in Thayserix?” he asked, and this brought uncertain shrugs from them. “I know Allura offered to give you an apartment in the palace.”

“Yes, she did,” Thace started, slowly. “But… we’ve lived all our lives in Thayserix since I finished school. And we aren’t exactly young spirits anymore. 

“The Empress _was_ adamant on my staying, however. My work with the Prince was somewhat of an… unexpected fortune. And after hearing about the incompetency of the Prince’s childhood physician…” His voice trailed away as he turned to Ulaz.

“It was heavily implied that she expects us to live here for the time being,” Ulaz finished. “We packed prepared to move our life here, for you and the Prince.”

Just as Keith was about to insist that none of that was necessary, Thace squeezed his hand around Keith’s wrist. “In the short time I lived here helping cure Lance’s hanahaki disease, I couldn’t—I know you must understand the sense of responsibility he instills in people. I’ve seen it in other half-nymphs, but Lance especially. It’s… extraordinary, and being able to work with him would improve my understanding of nymphs and my research. Do you see what I mean?”

Keith did, and he truly did understand the obligation he felt towards Lance. It was completely voluntary, and from his own free will. His ties to Lance extended to a lifelong bond that Keith could never fathom breaking.

He hesitated, though, at the thought of Thace’s research. He thought of everything he now knew about Lance’s nymphal qualities. He read about nymphal markings in books, but never… other _people_ seeing them. They were all thought of as speculation, because rarely anything nymphs said were taken down in scientific research.

“Have you… heard of the partners of nymphs being able to… I don’t know. I don’t know how to describe it,” Keith started, turning his eyes to the ceiling with a sigh. “It’s like… sometimes our _minds_ are connected. And I can see what he sees. Is that crazy?”

“There have been stories. I’ve never experienced it myself, or met any partners of nymphs who experienced it,” Thace confessed. “There’s a nymphal legend written from the perspective of a human who fell in love with a pureblooded nymph. It was a rare case in which the human escaped death by pretending to pass to gratify the nymph’s need for their blood.”

“Okay, that’s kind fo weird,” Keith said, grimacing.

“It’s a very romantic love story.”

“Kind of sounds like… a story about death and murder, but I’ll take it. So the author of the story…?”

Thace gestured vaguely with his hands as he said, “They… Well, there was a chapter in the legend that was discredited and thought to be a brief period of madness in the author’s life. While everything else might be seen as factual had the texts survived, the chapter made it seem as though the author was influenced by some other _thing_. The chapter describes a world of color and things invisible to our eyes. Some researchers take this as the only true description of what nymphs see every day. I’ve always taken it with a grain of salt, you know how it is. It’s a source of controversy and discussion among people who study nymph biology.”

“Oh,” Keith hummed, and hesitated as he considered everything that had happened since the last time he saw Thace. The incident in Daibazaal, their first night in the marital suite, a brief while in Arus… it happened too many times for Keith to believe that it was fake, or a brief lapse into madness.

“What brings this up?” Thace prompted, and the curiosity in his voice reassured Keith that he wouldn’t be considered insane if he talked about it.

He described the time Keith saw himself on a horse riding alongside Dandelion—Shay’s thoroughbred racing horse. He described the fight that ensued, and showed the burn mark from his counterpart’s flaming sword. He painted the picture of white flower petals in the night, and the music that played in the background when Lance thought of a concert he and Allura once attended years before. He laid his hands over his hair where ancient galran ears once appeared on his head. 

Thace seemed thrilled by everything Keith was saying, and it only prompted him to say more and more until he exhausted every detail he could remember from those times. He stopped, brushing his fingers over his cheeks where Lance’s markings were.

“Oh! And, I… I’ve noticed that Lance still shows signs of having the markings even when I’m not in his world. Today I touched where they are, and he gets flustered, like I just tickled him.”

“Intriguing. And you said they change color depending on his mood?” Thace said, looking like he desperately wished he had a pen and paper to jot this down. Keith suggested he run off to get a journal to write it all.

While Thace ran off, Ulaz’s gaze trailed after him before moving back to Keith. “He gets really into this sort of thing,” he whispered. 

“I don’t mind,” Keith reassured, smiling. “Whatever helps me understand Lance. Thace has been really helpful.”

“He loves to help out. When he came back from helping fix Lance’s hanahaki, he couldn’t stop talking about it. Prince Lance really had an impact on Thace,” Ulaz confessed, looking up with a sheepish smile.

Thace hurried back into the room, panting slightly as he scrambled back onto his floor pillow and laid the paper out on the table. He turned it towards Keith, along with a pen. 

“Could you illustrate what the markings looked like?” he asked, and Keith laughed, rolling his eyes.

“I’m not the greatest artist,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ll try.”

As Keith drew, he talked about about the markings, and how he wondered whether or not his ears somehow triggered reactions the way Keith’s fingers did when he touched Lance’s cheeks. “It’s like… every time he pats my hair, it feels like there’s something _more_ there that I just can’t see. It’s sensitive, like Lance’s markings.”

“I wonder if everyone has something like that, but nymphs disregard it because it’s just an average every day occurrence,” Thace said, and Keith nodded vigorously.

“I almost fainted when I saw the ears! Lance was just confused why I was just now bringing it up, like I saw them every day,” he said, and ran a hand through his hair before shaking his head. He went back to detailing Lance’s shoulders. “It’s… _weird_. And when we talk when I’m in his world—”

“It’s a form of synesthesia,” Thace explained. “The… visual noise. People born with even a _fraction_ of nymph blood are capable of having it. Seeing colors when people talk, or when they hear instruments.”

“That’s incredible. I never knew there was such a thing,” Keith confessed, eyes wide. Thace laughed, and delved deeper into the subject. Keith was all ears, leaning forward, and completely oblivious of what Ulaz observed all too well.

Keith would fit right in with them.

 

* * *

 

Keith walked into the hall between Ulaz and Thace, who were fully equipped with Altea’s best for the occasion. 

Keith hadn’t been there since that first feast he and Shiro attended. It felt like years ago, and time went unmentioned lately, so they truly could have been rolling closer to their year anniversary since meeting. He turned his eyes to the ceiling, and the multicolored lights that shifted with rainbow speckles over the marble columns. He stopped to stare, and turned around, following the motion of the lights as they descended like specs of snowflakes, shards of ice, reflecting reds and blues and greens like crystals. 

It was an intimate dinner party of barely thirty. Not quite a… _family_ get together, but most everyone there felt like it. Keith couldn’t stop smiling. His life was changing again, and it was for the better.

Allura was standing at the far end of the table, speaking to a familiar man dressed in the Arusian royal fashion. His hair was braided along his scalp so that where it reached the nape of his neck, it fell in soft white rivulets to his lower back where he had his hands clasped behind him. Keith led the way to them, eager to see Lance’s good friend again, despite all their differences.

Allura perked up at the sight of Keith, beaming broadly. “Glad you could join us!” she said, reaching a hand out to him. He accepted it, and turned to Lotor as he passed. “Lotor’s been waiting for you and Lance to arrive.”

“It’s good to see you again,” Lotor said, reaching to shake Keith’s hand.

“You too. You look like you’re doing well,” he said. After shaking hands, he gestured to Thace and Ulaz. “I suppose I should introduce you to my future adoptive parents. Thace, Ulaz, this is King Lotor of Arus.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Thace said, nodding respectfully to him. Ulaz echoed the sentiment. 

“Is… Lance with you?” Lotor asked, and Keith shook his head.

“I thought he was visiting you,” Keith confessed, and the confusion on Lotor’s face was enough for them all to realize that Lance hadn’t visited Lotor.

“He… was supposed to meet with me earlier,” Allura confessed, brow tensing. “Pidge and I simply assumed he was either with Lotor, Hunk, or you.”

Keith furrowed his brow, tucking a hand to his chin as he considered where Lance could have gone. He had his guards, and Keith was certain Lance wouldn’t miss this celebration. He loved activity in the palace, and his friend from overseas even came for the event. Thace cleared his throat from beside Lance.

“You might have mentioned something about Lance’s nightmares,” he said.

“He’s gotten them before,” Allura said dismissively. “It’s never effected him during the day. His dreams tend to get _vivid_ , you know.”

“Right, right. I’m just trying not to discount anything, ma’am. Keith mentioned that he’s had twice just this week,” Thace explained.

Keith turned away from them to look around the room. Perhaps Lance was with Hunk… but Hunk was off to the side with the Crystals and the Garretts. Lance wasn’t with them. He looked to the door, and wondered about Lance’s uncertainty around Keith. He was starting to question Keith’s every decision, every move, like none of it was…

“Oh no,” Keith whispered.

“What? What is it?” Allura asked, frantic. “Did something happen?”

“I- I don’t know. But lately it feels like Lance doesn’t think—” he started, hesitant. He tried to form the words in his mouth, but they all got tied in a knot in his throat, unable to escape the horror that Lance might doubt his devotion. “He’s been acting _insecure_ , lately,” he went with, and looked to Thace. “What do you think?”

Thace blinked, startled to be put on the spot. They all turned to him, though, and soon, he swallowed hard and twisted his hands together behind his back. 

“Well… it _has_ been a good while since Lance’s hanahaki went away,” he started, and looked doubtfully at Allura as he added, “and eventually… Nyma’s hypnosis _will_ wear off.”

Allura paled, pinching at the tips of her white gloves as she tried to hold herself together. “So what you’re saying is that Lance is, perhaps, relapsing?”

“But—! But we’re _married_! We live in a _marital suite together_ ,” Keith cried hysterically, voice rising. It echoed around the hall. “He couldn’t possibly think that I don’t _love him_. I have the tattoos to _prove it_.”

“I know, Keith, I know,” Thace said, holding onto his tense shoulder. “But we have no way to know what Lance is thinking unless we find him. We might just be overreacting.”

By this point, the rest of the hall was listening in, and soon Hunk was walking up, concerned. He came to Keith as Allura dispatched several of her guards to start the search for Lance and his bodyguards. “Is something wrong?” he whispered to Keith, and Keith was already struggling to hold back his panic. He didn’t want to watch Lance go through that illness again. He didn’t want to see Lance’s doubt manifest into petals.

“I- I think there could be something wrong,” he confessed, looking out to the doors. “But I seriously hope not.”

Lotor set his wine glass aside and followed after Keith and Hunk as they left the hall after Allura. Pidge was out there, listening patiently as Allura schooled herself and calmly told Pidge to set the staff on the hunt. Keith stepped up immediately.

“Let us help find him,” he said, and Allura looked at him and those that followed him out. Shay’s family stood just beyond the archway threshold, Hunk’s family alongside them. “The more people, the better.”

“I… I don’t want to cause an immediate panic if this is all for naught,” Allura insisted. “Lance would feel terrible if he caused unnecessary worry. We’ll leave it to the staff.”

“We don’t mind lending a hand,” Lotor insisted. “And if it really is all for naught, then we can make light of it. No need to feel guilty.”

“Ooh, like a party game,” Hunk said.

The Empress eyed them all with her uncertainty before hesitantly nodding. They all dispatched from the festivities hall, and scattered across the palace in pairs. As Hunk hurried off to meet with Shay, Keith seemed to have been left with Lotor and his advisor as she caught up to them just outside the main corridor.

Ezor was dressed lavishly, but humbly, and twisted her pink hair over her shoulder in concern. “What’s this I hear about the Prince missing?” she asked, following after them as they turned the corner. 

“We don’t know,” Lotor confessed, “but everyone at the dinner is out looking for him, us included. Have you seen Acxa?”

“She was wrangled up by the Imperial guards,” she said. “Likely off searching as well. I haven’t the slightest clue where to start.”

“I might have a few ideas,” Keith confessed, turning towards the back exit of the palace. “Follow me.”

They commenced the journey out beyond the gardens, the grass, the trees and the pebble pathways across the palace estate. Their decorative shoes crunched along the path, and sunk in the sand as they reached the beach. It was evening, and the orange and pink sky was beginning to fade to a deep, rich blue. The moon reflected white over the water as Keith turned to look both ways down the beach. Not a soul was present. 

Lotor stood off by the trees, arms crossed. “I take it you two spend a lot of time out here,” he commented.

“Yeah, most days,” Keith confessed, trekking back through the sand, away from the crashing waves. He climbed over the dune, back to Lotor and Ezor. “He always said the ocean calms him. If he was feeling upset or stressed, he might have come here.”

“It is calming,” Ezor hummed, swaying on her feet. “Where else might he go to relax?”

“I’m sure they’ve already checked our chambers,” Keith sighed, turning back to the palace. He stared at it for a moment, from Lance’s old balcony, and across to Allura’s. Beyond the trees, he could make out the shape of the stables. Keith tucked his arms around himself, hugging away the winter chill. “If he’s trying not to be found…” he hummed, already starting the trek there. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a quiet place during that night. Visitors from outside the palace all had their steeds housed in the stables. The workers were up and about, and seemed clueless on Lance’s whereabouts. Evidently, a guard had already stopped by to inform them of the situation.

“Thanks for all your work,” Lotor said, semi-saluting them as they headed out to the gardens again. “Well, wherever Lance is, he’s likely got one panicked guard with him. The guy probably wants to stick with Lance in fear of him running off, but at the same time, he can’t shout for help.”

“Afraid of startling Lance,” Ezor hummed. 

Keith thought about the quiet of Lance’s current position. Somewhere calm… like the ocean, like the outdoors, away from people where one loud noise might cause him to flinch…

“I’ve got it,” he said, hurrying through the garden paths. “Come on!”

Lotor groaned, but followed suit. They jogged through the gardens, and to the steps that carried them to the second floor, and then up to the third, until they were arriving at the observatory greenhouse staircase. It was massive, and encircled a marble column that reflected the moonlight filtering in from above. At the top of the stairs, they reached a glass opening enforced with detailed, iron framework. Keith pushed the door open, and listened to the sound carry through the rows upon rows of herbs. 

“Wow, this is _incredible_ ,” Ezor whispered, trailing behind them. She dragged her hand through a string of weeping ivy plants, all damp from the gardeners coming through with water.

As they walked deeper into the thick of things, the plants became duller, less lively. “Most of the greenhouse is being wintered,” Keith explained. “But they rotate wings for the vegetables. They always have fresh produce growing year-round.”

“Amazing. No wonder Lance loves it here,” Lotor hummed, trailing a finger over the damp, metallic surface of one of the tables. He rubbed his thumb and index finger together as they pushed into the next room. “Do you think—?”

Keith shushed him, hesitating at the sound of voices speaking softly across the room. Keith saw the ladder he and Lance climbed that night they snuck out together. There was someone standing at the base of it, pleading quietly to whoever was up in the observatory dome.

Keith hurried along, breath coming fast as he recognized Lance’s detached, watery words from overhead. As Keith, Lotor, and Ezor approached the guard at the base of the ladder, the man turned to them, distressed, but relieved to find helpers. He stepped away from the ladder, but the instant he did, Lance tried to pull it up.

Keith grabbed onto it swiftly, aware that Lance was sobbing in protest. 

“Lance, please let me up,” Keith said, clutching onto the rugs as Lance tried and failed to bring it up. His hands slipped, and he slapped them against the ledge in frustration.

“ _No_ , I don’t _want you up here_ ,” he seethed, voice breaking. “H-How could you do all this? Why w-would you pretend all this t-time?!”

Keith’s heart wrenched in his chest, clenching like it was being forced through a wringer. He struggled to breathe for a moment before saying, sternly, and with as much conviction as he could muster. “I would _never_ pretend around you, Lance. You mean _everything_ to me.”

“ _Liar_!” he cried, and the hatred on his face was almost too much for Keith to bear. 

“No, Lance, I swear—”

“You didn’t love me! You never did!” Lance said, gasping for air as he leant back, sniffing. He rubbed his hands over his eyes. “A-All this time—You all deluded me into believing you loved me. H-Have I always been a dozen steps ahead of you? Were you just _playing along_?”

“No! Lance, come on, do I really seem like the sort of guy to get a full goddamn back tattoo if I didn’t mean it?” Keith hissed, slamming his fist against one of the rungs. “I did it because I _love you_. Why is that so difficult to believe?”

“Because Allura made you!” he cried. “I guilted you into it! I don’t know! It was either me or a noose and you can’t deny that—”

“I came here accepted the fact that I might _die_. I accepted that,” Keith snapped. “But then I met you, and I would always chose you over what I thought was fate. You gave me motivation, Lance. I’ve never had that before!”

Lance pressed his face to the floor, tears streaking his cheeks. Lotor laid his hand on Keith’s shoulder, and it wasn’t until then that Keith realized that he was shaking. Heavy, wet tears dripped from his lashes before he could stop it. Distantly, they could hear Lance sobbing, “ _A-Allura made you do it—Allura made you do it…_ ”

“Let me talk to him,” Lotor whispered to Keith. Keith clutched onto the rungs tighter. “Please.”

“ _No_ , you never trusted him like I did and still do,” Keith seethed at him, and it caused Lotor to back away. Keith glowered at him before starting his assent.

Lotor turned to Ezor and the guard. “Go get Hunk. Try to avoid letting other people know.”

“I must tell the Empress—” the guard started, but both Ezor and Lotor scowled at him. 

Ezor turned to Lotor. “I’ll go. You need someone to watch out for you anyways.”

Lotor nodded wordlessly. Ezor ran off, leaving the guard looking desperately at Lotor in hopes that the King would relieve him of his duties here at the bottom of the ladder. Lotor merely scowled at him, arms crossed, and turned away from the observatory when Keith slammed the trapdoor shut. 

When Keith crawled up, Lance scrambled to his feet, hands over his face, trying to run anywhere but into Keith’s arms. Keith stood at the closed trap door, shoulders shaking as he tried to hold back the frustration of having his words ignored and discredited by the person he loved. 

“Lance, please look at me,” he begged, but Lance’s face was twisted up in distress, eyes squeezed shut as bubbly tears sprung forth, slipping down previous tear tracks. His mouth opened into a sob, unable to form words of any kind as Keith stepped closer. 

“Lance, please,” he started again, desperate. Lance ducked his head, and so Keith got down on his knees, looking up to Lance’s tear-stained face. A droplet dripped onto Keith’s knee as he reached for one of Lance’s hands. “I know. I know how you feel, and I don’t—I don’t blame you for feeling betrayed. I don’t blame you for doubting me. And you’re right. _You’re right_. When we first met, I didn’t love you like I do now. I knew I would, eventually, given time. It was the best I could do for you when I’ve spent my entire life without the love you’ve given me.

“And I know Allura has pressured me more than once to do things I wasn’t comfortable with,” Keith confessed, holding onto Lance’s fingers as if slipping meant losing him forever. “I’m a coward. I don’t fall as hard as you do. I’m not perfect, but I want to be—for you. And… I hoped that I could work on all those things with the time marriage has given us. I want to fall so fucking hard with you! I want to know what that’s like!”

He laughed, and it broke into a sob. He pressed his forehead to the back of Lance’s damp, salty hand filled with tears.

“I want to be a part of your life forever. I don’t want to lose you. I never want you to go through hanahaki again, and I will do everything to convince you that you are my world, Lance,” he said, and looked up to find Lance staring at him. 

Lance slowly, gingerly, crouched in front of him. He was shaking, fingers trembling as he reached over to brush away Keith’s tears. Lance swallowed hard, looking pained, and it twisted his expression before he turned to the side and coughed into his elbow. The sound had Keith sitting up straighter, reaching forward to push his hands through Lance’s hair, and sooth Lance’s back as he coughed and choked out a single, limp leaf of a dragon’s tongue flower. 

“Oh no—No, no, no,” Keith pleaded, but Lance shook his head, clearing his throat.

“I think it’s just the one,” he promised, but coughed again.

“Do you not believe me?” Keith insisted, tearing up all over again.

Lance shook his head again, trying to look Keith in the eye even as he coughed. “No, no I do! I do believe you,” he said, wheezing as he coughed into his hand. He let a wilted bud fall to the ground. “I-I felt it growing earlier this week. I just need to clear it out, I think.”

Keith gasped in relief, and pushed forward to hold Lance to him. “Oh thank gods,” he breathed, clutching his hands to Lance’s hair and shoulder. Lance let out a choked laugh, holding tightly to Keith’s back. 

“I wish I could love as strongly and quickly as you do,” Keith confessed, rubbing his hand over Lance’s back. “Perhaps this could have been avoided.”

“I-I’m sorry for worrying you,” Lance said, voice a mere whimper as he cried into Keith’s shirt. “I’m s-sorry for ruining the dinner.”

“No, no, you didn’t ruin anything,” Keith said quickly, shaking his head. He pressed his cheek to Lance’s head. “Take all the time you need.”

Lance cried and cleared his stomach and lungs of the symptoms of premature hanahaki until Hunk climbed up into the observatory to join them. He knocked on the trap door and let himself in after Keith called out to let him know that it was open. Lance turned to his friend, eyes watery as he reached out. Hunk climbed over, wrapping Lance up in his arms as Keith held onto his hand. 

A moment later, they heard another set of feet starting up the ladder. Lotor’s head popped up shortly after, curiously, and Lance shrieked in horror. He clutched his hands over his blotchy face and whined, “I’m not decent…!”

“As if I care,” Lotor huffed, and climbed up. He stepped over, and lowered himself down so he could rest his arm around Hunk’s shoulders, and smile at Lance. “Are you feeling better?”

“Y-Yes,” Lance hiccuped, and laughed as Lotor chuckled. “I-I don’t know how many people are supposed to be up here…”

“Ezor said she wanted to come up, too,” Lotor confessed, and a moment later, Ezor’s head popped up in the trap door opening. 

“Room for one more?” she asked, and Lance groaned into Hunk’s shirt. Keith laughed, and gestured for her to come up. She squeezed between Lotor and Keith, giggling as Lance tried not to look at her and failed. He hugged onto Hunk, arms tossed around Hunk’s neck. Hunk howled with laughter when Lance pouted at them all before hiding himself in Hunk’s shirt again.

 

* * *

 

When it came time to returning to dinner, Keith first led Lance back to their suite where he could freshen up and actually _prepare_ for the dinner. Keith watched from the doorway as Lance dabbed makeup under his eyes to conceal the puffy red skin there. When he turned back to Keith, Keith couldn’t help but lean in and kiss that makeup resting over Lance’s invisible markings. When he pulled away, though, they were alight under his skin, flushing pink from Keith’s profuse flattery.

“I love you— _so much_ ,” Keith promised, squeezing tightly to Lance’s fingers. The crystalline caps on the lights sent rainbow patterns washing over their skin like in the dining hall, and Keith fell in love with all the colors speckling Lance’s hair now. 

“I know,” Lance said, smiling brightly. “Come on, let’s go. Today’s your big day.”

They walked hand-in-hand out of the suite, and in the direction of where energy buzzed and sent colors coursing through the air over their heads. Keith and Lance followed the pattern stretching across the ceiling, like northern lights in all the colors of the rainbow. It filled the hall as they entered, and their comrades noticed them instantly and began clapping.

Lance rolled his eyes, blushing a bright pink as he bowed theatrically and waved to them all. Keith laughed, and wrapped his arm around Lance’s shoulders as Allura prompted the dinner to start. They _had_ just spent an entire hour hunting around for Lance. It was time to eat and celebrate. 

As the dinner went on, Lance clung to Keith’s hand, and the handkerchief he used twice during the course of the meal to catch fallen petals. Each time, he waved off the worried looks Allura and Thace sent his way. He still had his appetite, and intended to use it to devour every last bite on his plate. The meal consisted of elaborate bowls of fresh soup and fondue assortments consisting of cheeses and slices of specialty bread that Lance dipped in the soup and enjoyed warm in his mouth. He hummed in delight at the flavors, and wished he could spend every day sitting with his favorite people in the entire world, sharing a meal like this one.

Music played in the distance, and filled the room with soft vibrations that hummed through Keith and Lance. It felt like Keith’s emotions were being brushed and combed into something smooth and tame, and realized now why such music made Lance infinitely calmer. They smiled gently at one another, knowing that this was something only they could share. The rest of the world would have to wait for them to return to reality.

 

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](http://girlskylark.tumblr.com/) :D  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/girlskylark) :)


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